Long-Term Prospects

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Job Satisfaction

General quality of life statement

We'll tell it to you straight: What you get out of a chemistry major is all about what you put into it. A good chunk of chemistry majors head back to grad school, which means you might spend a considerable amount of time in the educational system. Also, the job satisfaction rate isn't exactly at the top of the list.

However, the pay isn't half bad, and over half of people are pleased with the their jobs. Since chemistry really can take you anywhere (we know, we're pushing the "wide range of careers" thing) you could end up with a job you love, or a job you hate. That part is really up to you.

So if you want to major in chemistry, we suggest that you take some time and figure out the specific career path you're interested in. Is the idea of maybe one day being a CSI-style agent going to make you hop out of bed in the morning and say, "Dear covalent bonds, I'm going to study you today like there's no tomorrow"?

If you're all about those little ol' ions, then you can definitely have a happy life pursuing this course of study. However, if you're iffy on all the nitty gritty chemical details but still love the sciences, you might want to jump ship over to biology or physics.

25th Percentile Salary

Median Salary

75th Percentile Salary

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